It’s my birthday at the end of the month so I’ve been trialing a few cakes. I want to try and persuade my work colleagues that vegans don’t just live off dust 😉

I’d heard very good things about the new Lotus Biscoff Spread via the Vegan Groups on Facebook, so when I saw a jar in the shops I couldn’t resist. Facebook was right, this stuff is gorrrrrgeous! So gorgeous in fact that I had to invent a cake to put it into. This one is definitely a contender for the birthday bake-off!

Chocolate and Lotus Spread cinnamon cake:

Ingredients:

• ¾ x cup vegan marg
• ¾ x cup sugar
• 3 x tsp “No Egg” in 6 tbsp. water
• 4 x tbsp. soya milk
• 1 x tsp cider vinegar
• 1 ¹/₃ x cups self-raising flour
• 1 x tsp baking powder
• 2 x tsp cinnamon
• 2 x tbsp. Lotus Biscoff spread (plus extra for decorating)
• 2 x tbsp. Vegan friendly chocolate spread (have a Google search if you don’t already have a favourite brand!)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180^oC
2. Put the marg, sugar, No Egg, soya milk and cider vinegar into a bowl and whizz up until a pale batter is formed (it might look slightly “curdled” but don’t worry).
3. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the batter a spoonful at a time and fold in until thick and thoroughly mixed.
5. Pour half the mixture into a well-greased baking pan. Dollop in blobs of the Lotus Spread and chocolate spread. Pour the rest of the mixture on top and swizzle around using a skewer.
6. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes, depending on the dimensions of your tin. A skewer will come out of the centre of the cake clean once cooked. If the outside of the cake is browning too fast, wrap in foil.
7. Allow to cool in the tin for 10mins before turning out onto a wire rack.
8. Once completely cool, you can decorate. Using a butter knife, I alternated blobs of Lotus and chocolate spread to make a pretty pattern.

My favorite part of this cake is the slightly chewy crust and of course the Lotus – chocolate spread topping. Enjoy!

Flash-Gordonette…x